Saturday, 28 February 2015

The Silk Roads on-line store opening last month was eagerly anticipated by all their Instagram followers. The store owned by friends Lou and Rachel is full of beautiful, and very reasonably priced, bounty from their many travels abroad.

On my first visit to the Silk Road I bagged myself a pair of beautiful Om spoons that were handcrafted by metal work artisans of Patan, Nepal and a really stunning Tharu Spike collar (I had wanted one of these for ages) and I am already have my eye on some of the beautiful textiles, especially the Rann of Kutch Wall Hanging.... so hands off! :)

Rachel is currently wowing instagram followers of her travel in Iran with her daughter Luna and her beautiful pregnant bump........ and giving me major wanderlust!... and awe.... walking to the corner shop was a mission when I was pregnant!

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Isn't this combination of Blue, White and copious amounts of houseplants great? I would have thought that dark blue was a bit too.... dark... for a bathroom but it actually work really well doesn't it?

This would work perfectly in my little bathroom and would only cost the price of a pot of paint. I also really like the copper and terracotta pots in the second picture, they works really well with the petrol blue.

If like me you would like a bathroom update, a can of paint can do wonders! Visit my Bathroom Guide here for more quickfix Bathroom update ideas.

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

This fortnights 'My Nest' is the Home of Galaxy Mountain Mama Amy Symonds. This home is another I have been drooling over on Instagram (calamitypasstradingco)for some time and I was so pleased Amy agreed to take part..... SO here are her 10 questions

Where
do you live and what do you do for a living?

We
live in an isolated cabin in the Colorado Rocky Mountains within a few miles of
the Wyoming/Colorado border.

I
am a wife, a mother, an artist. I am the owner of Calamity Pass Trading Company where I make, curate and sell a rugged collection of western jewelry,
bags, painted animal skulls and vintage goods, mostly online.

What attracted you to your current home

Oh
soooo many things!!

I
grew up at a remote abandoned rock mine only about two miles from this
cabin. So when we first looked at it, I immediately felt I had come
somewhat full circle. It had the exact same unbelievable mountainous view
from the living room window as my childhood living room had, and it had the
same smell of sagebrush mixed in the wind. It gave me the same feeling of
soul stirring happiness that I had as a kid watching the circling hawks above
the aspen trees that fluttered against the blue sky.

In
essence, This property gives me the same sense of freedom I have always had
throughout my life, to run wild, to live outside of society and live close to
nature instead.

Beyond
emotion though, we loved the fact that with just a few adjustments, the cabin
could go completely off (or on) the grid. This was an important aspect for my
crazy-ass prepper husband!

I
loved the skylights, the lofts and the sunshine.

I
have always loved living in the woods, in places that were alternative and
special. Like a crazy little cabin with a bathtub in the kitchen- or an antique
railroad caboose with a hand made oil-drum wood-stove and a crooked porch.
Places that have history and character….aaaand usually involved freezing treks
to an outhouse. I love that this property has that same pioneer
feeling, as it is an historical mountain logging camp from the 1800’s. There
are two very old homestead cabins in great shape on the property that we have
been fixing up to accommodate guests. The cabins are awesome, rugged,
preserved relics of the American Wild West and are probably my favorite aspect
of the property. Aaaand yes, there is an outhouse (with a badass view!).

We also really liked that it is 23 acres
surrounded by national forest and the independent lifestyle that kind of location
can accommodate. I want a greenhouse, some more dogs, a sauna -and we’ll see
about chickens!

How long have you lived there/ will you live there?

We
have only lived here for about three months! I plan to live here
forever….forever!!!

What is your favorite/ most treasured item?

My most treasured item is a collection of my sister’s
paintings. They capture everything pagan and renegade we felt as girls
growing up in the wild, and also encompass everything we dream to be as
powerful, magical, earthy women. They add such contrasting element to my home
with their striking colors and masterful textures against the logs. They
are very far away from the predictable elk-herd-western-landscape artwork you
would usually find showcased in this style of home.

Where do you buy most of your
furnishings

I have been trying not to buy, but instead, purge! I
collected so much stuff over the years from the attics of old local barns,
things dug from forgotten dumps on ranches. I scavenged from Wyoming thrift
stores and roadside yard sales on forgotten highways. Such cool stuff but I am
so ready to simplify!

Its
been really freeing to actually edit and I’ve found an appreciation for how an
emptier space can accent what you love- more than just cramming in more of what
you love! What I really love is: things from nature and relics that tell
of western history with a little gypsy mama mixed in….old tiny bottles, an
interesting tree stump as a coffee table, found hellish looking cow
skulls, a good beat up leather chair with handmade tapestry or piece of fur
tossed into it’s lap. I love letting the simple, aged architecture and
weathering of the cabins be the focus, along with the view and the rugged
surroundings of where we are.

I
have shopped, though! Not gonna lie! For key pieces. It’s important to
realize the long term value in investing in these and try not to second-guess
it. I try to buy from my favorite artists and avoid the manufactured crap
that doesn’t add any soul to any space. I’ve actually found so many
amazing artists on instagram…I love the connections with others made possible
there and the one of a kind creations I have been able to bring into my new
home.

What or who inspires your home style
and decision making when buying a new piece?

I
do it sometimes, but buying an actual new piece is very hard for me…like a
couch or bedding, or whatever. I’m more inspired when I can design from
what I already have or something I can re-purpose. It’s like an innovative
two part puzzle of collecting things and then figuring out how and where to use
them. If you gave me an empty room, a huge budget and sent me to
Ikea, I would have a decision–making, over-analyzing melt down!!

What and Where would be your dream home?

This is definitely it. Except I would have preferred old square
logs instead of round in our new (to us) home (finicky bitch)…and…. I
kinda really wish there was a natural hot springs on the mountainside. Not much
to complain about though! I feel very blessed to be here.

What was the last item you brought?

We just bought a huge buffalo (head) mount for our living
room. (remember I was justifying…for myself…investing in key items) It was a big decision. It was hand made by an artist
I know. The area we live in was nicknamed the “Bullpen” by the Ute Indians
who used to summer here. They would come each year to harvest from the
abundant buffalo herd that ascended to this high mountain plateau every
year. So I thought it was an iconic, spiritual, beautiful piece to add to
our home.

Any wish list items?

Yes! That Hot Springs! And as soon as it warms up I will be
working on campfire circles for each cabin. I think this will be
one of the most fun projects I have in mind. I am also hoping I will find
the perfect spot for our Tipi and…. that’s where you’ll find me this summer!

A massive Thank You to Amy for showing us her beautiful cabin and taking the time to answer the 10 questions.

If you have or know of a beautiful home that you think Moon to Moon readers would love please
#mynestmoontomoon on instagram or email me at moontomoon@live.co.uk

I am not allowed to move for a whole 2 weeks..... sounds awful, but being a full time mum I am actually really looking forward to having time to read and relax (that is if I am not in too much pain....eeek!) whilst my partner takes time out of work to look after Alex.

I have of course been day dreaming of places I would love to spend those two weeks and any of the above, or a beech in India/Thailand/Hawaii would be ideal :)

If you were to have two weeks with limited mobility where would you like to spend it?

Friday, 20 February 2015

When I was pregnant I was so excited about creating a cool nursery that he would love. I was however more aware of what i didn't want than what i did. However it seems that If you arent a fan of sickly sweet baby blue or pink or Disney then you are a bit screwed when it comes to finding your baby furnishings..... especially if trying to stick to a budget! I also found out that as soon as a chest of drawers became a 'nursery chest of drawers' it became 2x the price of a regular one.....

Inspired by the images above I chose to create a unisex eclectic nursery. I decided to buy the crib, storage and furnishings second hand and found some amazing bargains on eBay including my crib. What I created was a really cool bright and cheery nursery....

For the 4th in my eBay guides I have written about how to create a bright nursery perfect for creative and imaginative play that wont blow your budget....

Saturday, 14 February 2015

I rarely get moments of stillness these days. Life with an 8 month old is pretty hectic, even when Alex is asleep I am always 'on duty', like a sleeping lion ready to pounce.

On Thursday I got my moment of calm reflection whilst sat in a coffee shop. It was a coffee shop I had been in a zillion times before with my sister, but this time it was empty and I was alone (with Alex asleep in his pushchair) . I had one of those really rare beautiful moments where the winter sun streams through the window, showing the little dust particles dancing and warming my face......... In an instant I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, embracing the soothing orange light and felt so tranquil.

As I opened my eyes they were drawn to the floor. How had never noticed the beautiful terracotta tiles before?

I have taken it as a sign. I need to slow down and take time to sit and be still and cherish the smaller details.I don't need to be super mum, the best blogger, or have a perfectly tidy home. I just need to relax and enjoy these precious moments ....

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Artisan...... Until I began the series for eBay I had never really
featured many 'products'... don't ask why... its not like i don't spend a lot of time looking at them!...... The eBay Guides are
proving really popular and I have received some really positive feedback
so I thought I would counteract working with 'the big boys', with some posts on
Artisans and shops that sell only Handmade or on a smaller scale.

So in the first , of probably many, posts in this new series, I would like to introduce Facture Goods. I spotted Facture Goods on Instagram a little while ago and was really impressed by Aron's beautiful handcrafted pieces and the passion that goes into every piece. I for one am particularly in love with his Walnut Measuring Spoons!

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

Our family "nest" that we set up for lounging and movie watching together.

For the Third part in The 'My Nest' series we are off to Houston, Texas to the home of Andrea from Gypsy Yaya blog. This beautiful home is full to the brim with beautiful textiles and great vintage finds, not to mention that beautiful red Sofa!!

1) Where do you live and what do you do for a living?

I
live in Houston, Texas in a 1970's era townhouse with my husband, our
baby daughter, one sweet dog, two sassy cats and a parakeet. I spend
most of my time being Mamma to a very busy 15 month old, blogging at GypsyYaya and hawking my vintage wares in my Etsy shop.
My husband {who works from home} and I do a lot of DIY-ing and are
striving to be as self sufficient as possible in our little urban
homestead so that we are able to live comfortably on his full time
income.2) What attracted you to your current home?

Houston
has a very limited selection of older/historical homes with character
and soul. Especially when it comes to renting. We were just looking for
anything at all that had some quirky or interesting design elements
rather than the usual new beige box apartments.

Our
70's pad has {painted} diagonal natural wood accent walls, wood floors,
a very 70's floor plan, little built-in shelves, a private brick patio
and a balcony off the master bedroom. All of which suits my design
aesthetic perfectly and allows for a little green thumbing. It's about
as groovy as it gets in Houston with our current budget. 3) How long have you lived there/ will you live there?

Well,
when we first moved here from New Orleans we only planned to live here
for a year. Then along came baby. Now here we are into our third year. I
have finally started to tackle projects that I previously ignored
because I thought we weren't staying long. We ultimately would love to
buy a house somewhere near Houston where we can get our garden on and I
can have completely free reign with the interior. I'm sure that
opportunity will present itself as soon as I "finish" this place. I
bloom where I'm planted, then I uproot and bloom where I'm planted
again. It's a vicious but very fun cycle.

4) What is your favorite/ most treasured item?

It's
hard to pick! I just love old things, they have so much soul to them.
My red velvet vintage couch is probably at the top of my list, closely
followed by my peacock chair that my Mom bought us as a wedding gift. I
love anything vintage, artful or handmade! Oh and my plants. I love my
plants. When my daughter first learned to wave, she waved at us, the
animals and also the plants.

5) Where do you buy most of your furnishings and accessories?

I
am a thrift store addict through and through. Also garage sales, estate
sales, flea markets...I love the hunt! I'm not above the occasional
curbside/dumpster find either. Some of my coolest pieces have been found
that way! Etsy and Ebay are old friends too.

6) How would you describe your style?

It depends on the room! Bohemian always. Global & Vintage always.

My
main living areas are usually very hippy, 70's, modern/ surf shack/
jungle. My bedroom is Southwest meets Olde New Orleans Bordello with a
touch of opium den. When my daughter has her own room I want it to be bright colored, vintage Scandinavian/whimsical wonderland. I'm all over the place haha!

7) What/who inspires your home style / decision making when buying a new piece?

I
like things that tell a story. Old pieces with age, that were made
better than things are now. Things brought back from far flung corners
of the globe. Items of quality that will last another 50 years or more.
Things handmade with love always capture my heart as well. If an item
has all of these qualities combined, well I'm smitten.

8) What/ where would be your dream home?

I
have multiple dream home scenarios. A 200 year old grand and a bit
decrepit home near the French Quarter in New Orleans. A tiny magic
cottage in the forest. A vintage A-Frame near the beach. Traveling all
over the Americas in a vintage air-stream with my little family.

In
real life it will probably be an older home in the Texas Hill Country
in need of some restoration on a huge lot so I can garden into madness.

9) What was the last item you bought?

I
just bought a darling vintage chair upholstered in an Indian print
linen. It has bamboo styled wood legs and arms and it was $22. I adore
it. Perks of having a Mother who also loves vintage and knows your style
perfectly. She found it at a local thrift shop and alerted me
immediately.

10 ) Any wish list items?

My
current wish list is all things I hope to come across in a thrift store
for next to nothing. Or free on the side of the road. A mid-century
credenza for under my TV with space for all my husbands techie
components inside. A vintage leather chair with nail head trim for his
office. A vintage dining table and chairs {that don't have to match} And
a giant kilim rug. Some large scale modern 70's art. A Hoya plant. And a
gypsy caravan.

** most of the pictures I have used have been from pintrest and tumblr, sadly many have no credit. I am slowly working my way through my past posts trying to add sources. If you recognise a picture please please drop me an email, or leave a comment in that post. Cheers Gabi xxx